Tomorrow Never Knows
by hook617
Summary: Set after the end of 3x12. Killian, Emma and Henry settle back into Storybrooke.
1. Chapter 1

Henry stirred in the backseat of his Mom's faithful yellow bug. She had that car as long as he could remember, so he was no stranger to falling asleep in it. He actually knew the most comfortable position to sleep in it, always waking without the slightest pain. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to take in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed is that his Mom wasn't in the car, and neither was that Killian guy. He tried to take in some of the other things out the window. Repair shop, drug store, clock tower…

_Tap tap tap _

Still in his groggy state, Henry jumped at the noise at the window. Killian's warm smile made him relax as he slowly got out of the car, stretching as he settled outside.

"Welcome to Storybrooke, my boy," Killian said as he leaned back against the car.

"Where's my Mom," Henry asked. Killian smiled down at the boy. It was obvious, especially since Regina had implanted memories, that Henry and Emma spent little time apart. When one moved, so did the other. On the drive up, Emma had told Hook that she was able to get most of her bail bonds work done during the day so she could be with Henry as much as possible. Impressive, since most of the perps she probably chased were night workers. Killian could also see in the boy's eyes that protecting his mother was his first priority. Of course- in this past year, all they had were each other. That much was true.

"Your mom just went to meet up with a source," Killian said, only slightly fibbing. "She asked me to stay with you. Why don't we get you two a hotel room here while she's gone?"

"How will she know where we're staying?"

"Only one place to stay in Storybrooke, lad," Killian explained, gesturing down the street to a house marked 'Bed and Breakfast', located just behind a diner. It was strange to Henry. In New York, there were hotels everywhere- grand ones in fact. This one barely qualified as a place for people to stay. However, it was kind of charming in his own way. Killian pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his coat and scribbled a note for Emma, keeping his left arm tucked in his pocket as he awkwardly wrote, and placing it on the front seat before leading Henry towards Granny's.

A bell rang as they entered the lobby. Things seemed rather dusty, no where near New York quality. Henry wondered if anyone worked here at all. Maybe he shouldn't have left the safety of the car with someone he had only met a few hours ago. Henry slowly felt for the cell phone in his pocket, debating if Killian would notice if he sent a text to his mom. Henry pretended to look at an old grandfather clock while Killian rang the bell at the front desk.

"Oi! You there, lass," Killian called out down the hall, ringing the bell again. An old woman came bustling around the corner, shooting Killian a look that could, well, kill. She put her hand on the bell to stop the ringing.

"You don't have to do that, we're just having a busy night in the diner," Granny said, with no nonsense in her voice. "So, what do we owe the pleasure? Thought we'd never see your face again. Thought you crossed the border and..."

"Oh, I've been keeping pretty busy," Killian said, cutting her off. "I've been having my own adventures. And as you can see, they've been great ones." He gestured toward Henry, who had been watching the exchange with great interest. Granny's jaw dropped as she stared at the boy. It was like she was seeing a ghost. Before she could say another word, Killian put his hand out toward Henry to come greet her. "Henry, I want you to meet Granny. She'll be taking care of you during your stay. Henry is the son of a friend of mine from New York." Henry stepped forward hesitantly, but held his hand out to her all the same. She shook it tentatively, then changed to a strong, warm handshake. "Oh, don't be afraid of Granny, lad. If you talk nice to her, she'll give you a free hot fudge sundae."

"Extra everything," Granny said with a wink.

"That's...just how I like it. How did you know that," Henry asked.

"Oh, I can tell these things, dear," Granny quickly explained. "I've served in this diner a long time. I can just tell what kind of food makes people happy." She quickly went around to the desk to pencil in the room reservation. "Forest view or square view?" Henry looked at Killian, who nodded with wink, indicating that Henry had the choice.

"Um...square?"

"Excellent choice," Granny said with a smile. "There's an upgrade fee, but for such long travels, I'll waive it."

"I'll take a forest view, if you don't mind. Preferably close to their room," Killian said, putting some money on the counter. "Won't you be staying…" "I travelled with them," Killian interrupted again. "It's either that or sleep in the car."

"Well, I'm sure you could take roughing it for the night," Granny said pointedly. Henry didn't understand why Granny was so unhappy with Killian. He had obviously been to this town before, which would probably help if he was a client helping his Mom with whatever case he hired her for. He seemed like a nice guy, definitely had some great stories to tell on their long drive. Why was Granny looking at him like he was the worst guy in the world? The three of them looked up when the bell over the door rang again, Emma stumbling through it in a hurry.

"I thought I told you to watch him in the car," Emma said pointedly to Killian, pulling Henry next to him.

"The lad woke up himself. I thought I'd help get you settled while you were out," Killian said holding up his hand. "I was even a gentleman and paid for your room."

"If I had known that, I would have charged that extra fee," Granny mumbled. Granny smiled at Emma, who gave her a small smile back. "I'll just make sure your rooms are in order."

"Wait," Emma said. "Are there any..._other people_ staying here tonight?" Granny exchanged looks with Killian, who gave her a tiny nod.

"Well, we have one _regular_ who stays here," Granny said. "He's on the third floor."

"Can our rooms be on the second floor," Emma asked quickly. Granny nodded and went up the stairs to prepare the rooms.

"Mom, why…"

"It's a small inn, Henry, and it's late. We wouldn't want to wake anyone," Emma said. "Killian, can you go get our bags, please?" Killian bowed, taking his left hand out of his pocket for the first time since Henry had woken up.

"What's that?!" Emma sent Killian a panicked look, but Killian just shrugged as if it was no big deal. He actually smirked, which made Emma's blood boil a little bit.

"Um, Henry, you noticed that Killian has a fake hand. Well, he sometimes needs...he uses…" Emma said, stumbling to find an appropriate explanation that was anything but 'He's really Captain Hook.'

"It looks a bit frightening, but don't worry, lad. It actually makes things a bit easier for me in my line of work," Killian explained. "I captain a ship, you see. Having a stiff, wooden hand doesn't help much on deck."

"You captain a ship? Are you in the Navy?"

"As a matter of fact, I did serve," Killian said, a look of pride spreading on his face. "I usually spend much time at sea, more for other adventures outside the Navy in recent years."

"But if you use it on your ship, why do you have it on now," Henry asked. Killian winked at Emma before walking towards the door.

"To make it easier to carry your bags, of course," Killian said with a flash of his smile before heading back toward the car. Emma shook her head, giving a little smile and looking after him as he went down the road. Hook always did know when to come to her aide, and she appreciated the explanation. The kid seemed to buy it. Emma was suddenly struck with the realization of how much she missed their relationship. She and Killian had always made a good team, and she could have used it this past year. Starting a new life in New York wasn't always easy, then Walsh showed up and… well, the year would have been different if Killian had come with them. Henry followed her gaze and smiled up at his mother.

"You think he's handsome, don't you," Henry asked knowingly. Emma quickly jerked from her thoughts and headed towards the stairs.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma said.

"Just take it slow, Mom. You just broke up with Walsh. I mean, Killian seems like a nice guy too, but you don't want to rebound with him."

"He's just a client, Henry," Emma said, turning on the steps.

"Mom, like I said I'm okay with the idea of our family getting bigger. I don't know Killian too well, but even in just these few hours I see the way he looks at you. Even Walsh never looked at you like that. Once this case is over, if you wanted to…"

"A client," she said pointedly. "Nothing more." Henry shrugged and followed his Mom upstairs. Granny was in the hallway to greet them, ushering them to their room.

"Mr. Jones's room is right across the hall. The owner's suite is around the corner, if you need anything. My granddaughter, Ruby, lives with me. Either one of us can attend to your needs, should you have any at night. We start serving breakfast at 7am in the diner, it comes with the room," Granny explained.

"Thank you," Emma said. "Henry, pick out which bed you want. I need to ask Granny one more thing," she said before shutting the door. Granny quickly pulled her into a hug.

"It's so good to see you, Emma," she said, her eyes watering with joy.

"Yeah," Emma said uncomfortably. "It's weird being back here."

"At least Hook does something right. He knows how to find you," Granny said. "We sure do need your help figuring out what happened."

"Look, Granny, I may have my memories back, and you've gathered that Henry doesn't, so it's really important that Neal stays away from him," Emma said. "In Henry's memories, he doesn't have the same view of his father. To him, he doesn't exist at all. If Neal is staying right upstairs, things could get complicated. And Storybrooke has enough complicated that I have to deal with."

"Say no more," Granny said. "I'll take care of Henry."

"You always did," Emma said with a warm smile. At that moment, Killian comically stumbled upstairs with all their suitcases strapped to him. Most were hanging over his back, held by his hook, but he had some of his belongings in a large pack under his arm and Henry's backpack strap clenched between his teeth. He set them down in the hallway with a loud crash. Granny shushed him before heading back to her room for the night.

"For someone who prides in not having too many belongings to move, you sure packed heavy luggage, Swan," Killian said after dropping the strap from his teeth. Emma rolled her eyes before opening the door for Henry to help gather things up. Henry quickly went down the hall to the bathroom to get ready for bed, leaving Hook and Emma alone in the hall.

"That's your room," Emma gestured towards the opposite door. "And why aren't you staying on the Jolly Roger again?"

"I thought it'd be awkward explaining to Henry that I lived on a pirate ship," Killian said. "Thought it would look more acceptable to get a room as well." Emma nodded, folding her arms before stepping toward her room. "Swan," he said, reaching out to grab her arm. His eyes softened as he looked into hers, reminding her of their last moments together at the border. Like there was a thousand words he wanted to say, but not being able to express any of them. "I'm… I'm happy you're here, Swan."

"Yeah," Emma said, stepping slightly away from his grasp. She was still a bit upset with him for taking her away from her life, imaginary or not. She still wished she could step back into yesterday, alone on the couch with Henry playing video games. Making a fresh made breakfast every morning before Henry went to school. Being able to be in a relationship without fear of monsters attacking. Well… that is if she wasn't already dating a monster.

Walsh. Thank God they set up physical boundaries in their relationship. If she had known he was a….ugh. Since she was a single mother, wanting to set a good example for Henry, she explained early on that she didn't want to step into that aspect of a relationship until they were at least engaged. Walsh seemed extremely accepting of her terms. It also seemed like that was why he was so eager to propose. But, being the nice guy he was, she didn't think he was doing it purely to get her into bed. No, he was doing it to distract her from where she needed to be- in Storybrooke. Or, at least, temporarily...

"Listen, Hook," Emma said, covering his hand with hers, only to push his hand away. "I know how you feel and, just so I'm not leading you on, I only plan to stay in Storybrooke until this is over. Then we're going back to New York." Hook nodded and looked down.

"I expected as much," he said softly. "I had hoped…"

"I know," Emma said, resisting the urge to put her hand to his cheek in comfort. He looked so hurt, so alone. She knew all too well the look in his eyes. Like he could see the writing on the wall of how long he'd be in her life. But that look quickly changed to one of determination, a look she had seen in his eyes many times.

"So I better make good use of the time you are here," Killian declared. "If being by your side for a short time is all I get, then I shall never leave it. You have no idea how much I've missed you, Emma. And if however long it takes to break this curse is all I have to be with you, then I won't spend it dwelling on how I may lose you again. I'll be fighting at your side, Emma." He was so close to her now, she could feel the warmth of his lips so close to hers. Without losing his advantage of their current proximity, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, lingering there for a moment. The familiar feeling of his lips against her skin warmed her, and the only thing she resisted was letting herself want more. "Goodnight, Swan," he whispered softly. He picked up his pack from the floor and went to enter his room.

"You're not going to change my mind, Hook." Killian smiled at her, causing shivers to run down her spine, overtaking the warmth that was there a second ago.

"Tomorrow never knows, love," he said with a wink before closing the door. Emma picked up the last of the luggage and went into her room, flopping down on her bed and staring at the ceiling. She was right- Hook hasn't changed.

* * *

**I am probably going to continue this one, but I don't know where I'm going from here. We'll see how the season influences me! I'd like to explore Henry's relationship with Neal, since all he has is his "cursed" memories, and how that affects his relationship with Killian. But, like I said, we'll see how the season influences me.**

**Hope you like where it's going!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows! So here's some more!**

* * *

It was the best night sleep Killian had in a year, but also arguably the worst. Emma was just mere yards from him. He knew both she and Henry were safe. With that knowledge, he slept contentedly. However, he woke up often, almost every hour, going out into the hall and pressing his ear to the door to make sure he could still hear them. He would be damned if they were taken on his watch! He had just gotten her back- gotten both of them back.

Although he didn't know much about the lad, Henry had become extremely important to him. If the simple explanation was that he was Emma's son wasn't explanation enough, he admired the boy. He had the guts to survive Neverland, held his own against Peter Pan, and was willing to sacrifice himself for his family (or at least, he was lead to believe he was). Henry reminded him of Milah in that way. And he was also Bae's son. He still cared about Bae very much, even if they were vying for the same woman now. But the time he spent with Bae in Neverland was a shimmer of hope in his darkest years, and for that, Killian would always be grateful.

Killian stirred from his last round of sleep with a light tapping at the door. He promptly bolted out of bed, clicking his hook into place as he went to answer it, opening the door only a crack very slowly. "Oh, good morning, lass," Killian said, opening the door all the way. "Did you sleep well?"

"Obviously better than you," Emma said with a chuckle as she looked down at the floor. It was then that he realized he neglected to put on a shirt, and she was obviously refraining from looking at him. Although, she couldn't hide her blush, and a wide smile grew across his face.

"What do you mean," he said as he slipped on a shirt quickly. Once she saw that he was a little more decent, she resumed eye contact with him. She still had a smirk on her face as she stepped into his room and closed the door.

"Other than knowing you kept checking on us," Emma replied, shooting him a look and he could feel a warmth fill his cheeks. "You have bed head."

"I have what," he asked concerned, running his fingers through his hair. Emma chuckled softly and, without even thinking, reached out to smooth his hair down. It felt incredibly soft beneath her fingers, and her originally mothering gesture turned into gentle caresses, letting the black charcoal strands weave through her fingers. Killian locked eyes with hers and they both grew still. He slowly brought a hand up and took her wrist, pulling it down so he could kiss the tip of her fingers. Emma immediately pulled her hand away and stuffed it back into the pocket of her jeans. "Why did you come here, lass," Killian asked, keeping his voice soft as to let her know the moment was not broken for him.

"Henry. He wanted you to have breakfast with us," she said quickly.

"I'd be honored," he said as he reached out to grab his vest off the end of the bed. "I'll be out immediately."

"You two go ahead. I need to take care of something first," Emma said. Hook quickly leapt in front of her, still buttoning his vest as he stopped her.

"And what, pretell, is that?"

"I have to talk to Neal." Killian didn't know how to feel about that. Surely, with Neal being on the floor above, he must be warned about Henry's state. However, that wouldn't stop him from trying to get back into both Emma and Henry's life. Honestly and selfishly, he did like having both of them to himself for a bit.

"I'll go with you after I get Henry settled," Killian offered.

"No," Emma said as she started to reach around him for the door knob. "I have to do this on my own." Killian reached out and put his hand on hers to stop her.

"Well, that takes care of one parent, love. What about Regina? Have you thought about how she's going to react when you tell her about Henry," he asked. Emma froze. This one she definitely hadn't thought all the way through. It was easy enough to get Neal to understand that she wanted to keep Henry in the dark so she could get him away from all of the magic, but Regina was another story. "I'm not sure the Queen is going to be all too keen that you plan on keeping her son from her indefinitely, and that she can't even acknowledge him."

"I'll deal with that later," Emma said, brushing him off. "The fewer people interacts with in this town the better. I don't want him getting too attached." Killian threw his whole weight against the door to keep her from opening it.

"When are you going to stop running, love? Your whole life you've dreamt of family, and this past year it's been you and Henry against the world. Well now you're surrounded by family and people who love both of you, and you just can't wait to tell us to just let you get your job done so you can run again."

"I didn't ask to be the Savior or for you to wake me up. Henry doesn't need all this crap in his life."

"None of us asked for what life has handed to us, love," Killian boomed. "We deal with the cards we're dealt, it makes us who we are. But if life hands you that winning hand, you don't just toss it away because you're afraid to be happy." Emma tried to push past him, but he held his ground. "At least ask Regina to make a memory potion for Henry. Then you can make that decision with your boy instead of for him."

"Because I'm his mother and I know what's best for him! And I know why you're doing this, Hook," Emma snapped. "Don't use my son as a way to try to keep me here just because you have feelings for me."

"And don't use doing the right thing as a mother as an excuse for keeping Henry's family from him so you can go back to your false life," Hook replied. "Because out of the two of us, you're the one who is being selfish, darling." Emma's blood burned through her body. He was so infuriating, so…. Emma gave him a swift punch to his ribs, using his temporary shock to push him out of the way. She went back to her room, finding Henry listening to her ipod with headphones on. He sat up quickly in his bed when she entered the room.

"Killian will be out in a minute to take you to breakfast," Emma said as she pulled her hair back over her shoulders, trying to calm herself down. "You almost ready?"

"Yeah, I'm starved," Henry said, putting the headphones down. "Is everything okay?"

"What? Yeah, sure," Emma said, still a bit distracted about what Hook said. "I just need to take care of something really quick. I'll join you two when I'm done."

"If you say so," Henry said, not really believing her. He heard the two of them fight, sort of. It was hard to make out what they were saying through the door, but he could tell it was more than a business fight. In all the months his Mom was with Walsh, they never fought. Walsh was always very compliant, let his Mom always have her way. It was actually kind of...unrealistic. Whoever this Killian guy was, he wasn't afraid to challenge his Mom. As Killian inched into the room holding his side, Henry knew exactly what put him in his place. Killian smiled at Henry and gestured for them to go downstairs, currently using his prosthetic hand instead of his hook. Emma gave Killian a triumphant grin as she walked past him.

"That was the side that my ribs were broken, Swan," Killian said lowly, arresting her wrist.

"I know," she said triumphantly. "Going to apologize for your ungentleman-like behavior, Mr. Jones?"

"Only if you kiss my ribs better first," he said leaning into her.

"In your dreams, Jones," Emma said, pulling her arm away.

"Hey," Henry said. "Are you two done? I'm starving!" Emma felt her face redden as she quickly headed towards the stairs for the third floor.

* * *

"So, what can I get you," Ruby asked as Killian and Henry poured over their menus. Killian looked to Henry to go first, not know what he wanted to order for himself. He was still discovering the food of this world, and he found it easier to 'just order the same.' Henry stared hard at his menu as he tried to decide. "Eggs and pancakes?"

"No, my Mom makes me that every morning," Henry remarked. Ruby raised her eyes in surprise. First, the Emma she knew didn't cook. Second, that was what she and Henry ordered all the time at the diner. It was interesting that pancakes and eggs were their constant breakfast staple. "I think, for a change, I'll have waffles."

"And I'll have the same," Killian said, trying to find a description of what he just ordered. What in blazes were waffles?! As he looked down over the menu, he noticed the different varieties of waffles, one in particular catching his eye. "Hold on, lass. What is this?" Ruby peered over his shoulder to see what he was referring to.

"It's waffle. And it's like it says- waffles with ice cream."

"You can have ice cream for breakfast," Killian asked in disbelief. One thing this world appealed to was his sweet tooth, and one of his first discoveries was ice cream. He quickly discovered it was one of those final course items, but he loved it all the same.

"Well, it's usually a dessert, but it is on our breakfast menu if you want it," Ruby said.

"Care to join me, lad," Killian asked Henry, who nodded eagerly. "Alright! Two waffles with ice cream. And be generous on the topping, lass," he said with a wink. Ruby nodded and went to put in the order.

"My mom never lets me order that for breakfast, except for maybe once on my birthday," Henry said, taking a sip of his milk.

"Well, it's your first day in Storybrooke. Let's use that as an excuse to celebrate," Killian said. In a way, today was a celebration for him. He had successfully gotten Henry and Emma to Storybrooke, and it could only go well from here. Well, in his mind it could. He was sure in Emma's mind, things could only get worse.

* * *

Emma put her arm up several times before she actually knocked on the door. Even with her memories restored, there was still the overwhelming hurt that Neal had left her. It wasn't something she had fully put behind in her old life, and it was something that still felt raw in her new life. Every time she or Henry mentioned Neal, or when Walsh talked about the future, Neal's betrayal was a fresh wound. Her stomach clenched as the doorknob turned and the door swung open.

"Emma!" She was immediately knocked back by the force of his hug, pinning her to him tightly and swinging her a bit. "I knew we'd be reunited! I knew it!" He set her down and pulled her at arms length so he could look at her, keeping his hands on her shoulders. "You look amazing."

"Thanks...Neal, we need to…" "

Where's Henry? Is he getting us a table? I can't wait to see him," he said, releasing her and running his fingers through his hair. It was like she was talking to a big kid- he was just too excited to listen to anything. "Em, I know we have some things to deal with, but I can't wait to get another chance with you two. This is amazing!"

"Neal, stop," Emma said, putting out her hands. The smile faded slightly from his face, but only slightly.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Neal, I came here to figure out this curse, but that's it. Henry and I aren't staying in Storybrooke," Emma explained.

"Oh, that's cool. I probably can get my apartment back in New York. I'll have some explaining to do to my super, but if I pay him for the lost rent, he would care less," Neal said. "Or, I can get a bigger place, or someplace closer to your apartment or…"

"Neal!" He promptly stopped his ramblings and looked at her with concern. "Henry and I are going back to New York- ALONE. After all this is over, I want our old lives back. And in that life, all he knows is what you did to me." Neal leaned against the doorframe in defeat, pressing his forehead into his arm before pulling back and scrubbing his face hard.

"You told him about that? Why would you tell him that?"

"In our lives I'm 100% honest with him. And if that means telling him what his father did to me, so be it," Emma said, her face stone cold. "We have lives back in New York, good ones. And you're the one who spent his life trying to escape magic. Don't you think your son deserves to have his life away from all that?" Neal sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Look, Em, I get what you're trying to do. I didn't expect you to feel this way, but I told you from the start. He's my kid too and you don't get to make those decisions by yourself anymore. I want to see my son," Neal said. He reached out and tried to hold her hand, and unlike with Killian, it felt like an old weight pulling her down. "Come on, Emma. Fate keeps putting us together. We owe it to ourselves to try and be a family. I thought it's what you wanted."

"Neal," Emma said with a sigh. "Henry and I have spent the past year on our own, without anyone taking care of us. We can do that, we're good at it. He thinks you don't even know about him and he's fine with that. Can't you just accept that we can be just fine?"

"No," Neal said quickly. "You're not just fine. When you've been left alone like we have, nothing is ever just fine. We deserve the best after all we've been through and the best is being a family."

"I'm sorry," Emma said. "I don't have time for all that. I need to figure out what happened to everyone, and then that's it. I don't have time for...anything else. That's just how my role is."

"I refuse to accept that."

"Well, you're not the only one," Emma grumbled. "I'm going down to join my son for breakfast. If you care about either of us at all, just let us be this morning. At least until we figure all this out." Neal nodded and let Emma go, waiting a few beats before trying to follow her around the corner. He was met with something sharp at his eye level.

"Don't even think about it," Granny said, aiming her crossbow. "I'll be bringing your breakfast to your room this morning, Mr. Cassidy." Neal smiled politely before slipping back into his room.

* * *

**A/N: So, from what I gathered from the Spring premiere is that Emma kinda has tunnel vision when it comes to what she's going to do in Storybrooke- save the day then get out of there before something else happens. Killian isn't holding anything back this time- his feelings, calling Emma out, nothing. He's going to be nothing but real with her and see what happens. That's why things kinda escalated so quickly between them in this chapter. I think Neal always wants to jump at another chance of being a family if it's in front of him, whatever jumping might mean. That's how I've read things so far.**

**REVIEWS, PLEASE?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I wanted to get something up before "Witch Hunt", but then life happened. I decided that I'll try to stick as canon as I can with adding some touches of my own. I'm sure, at some point, I'll go way off canon if what I have in my head isn't where the show is going, but that's okay. I'll try as long as I can.**

**This chapter contains spoilers/content from both "Witch Hunt" and "The Tower". I kinda skipped through both episodes in favor of keeping the story moving. You'll need to watch both of those episodes for this chapter to make sense.**

* * *

"Just what do you two think you're doing?" Honestly, it was really hard not to laugh at both of them. Henry looked like a hurt little puppy, giving her large eyes in hopes that he wasn't in trouble for having dessert for breakfast. And Hook, well, he was absolutely covered in hot fudge and whipped cream all over his face. How he got hot fudge by his ear, she had no idea. Maybe it was one of the downsides of eating one-handed. She bit back a smile as she thought, if circumstances were different, how fun it would be to help him clean up.

"Having breakfast, Swan. What does it look like," Hook said with a childish smile.

"It looks like you need a bath, Jones," Emma said, sliding in next to Henry. She reached across her son to the end of the table and grabbed Hook some much needed wet-naps. She tore one open for him and handed it to him. As he wiped his face off, his eyes were locked with hers and she knew exactly what he was thinking. The lustful look in her eye had most likely matched hers from a second ago.

"We were just having a bit of fun, love," Killian said. "Weren't we, lad?" Henry shook his head, gesturing he was keeping out of this and hoping to keep the focus off his less-than nutritious breakfast. Emma grabbed and extra fork and took a small piece from Henry's plate.

"You could have at least saved me some," Emma told her son with a wink.

"You were gone for too long," Henry said, swirling the waffle around on the remains of melted ice cream and hot fudge before finishing the last bite. "What did take you so long?" Emma breathed a sigh of relief when Ruby came to the table, saving her from answering.

"What can I get you? Something full of sugar like the rest of the table," Ruby asked.

"Come on, Swan," Hook said with a wink. "Have a bit of fun." It was a staring contest between the two, but both Ruby and Henry felt like they could explode out of existence and they wouldn't notice.

"Okay," Emma said. "I'll have the strawberry pancakes. Extra whipped cream."

"That's the spirit," Hook said with a smile as he slapped the table hard before diving back into the remains of his plate. They spent the next half hour laughing and joking, which Hook hoped it wasn't just for appearances sake for Henry. He had missed his friendship with Emma, among other things. They had grown so close in Neverland, to lose that friendship plus whatever else they had was absolutely devastating to him this past year. And, as for Henry, he had been longing for the day they could begin to bond- and this was it! It was more than he could ever dreamed of a year ago. But then, he always knew he'd find them.

"Oh, the Nolans will be here any moment," Emma said, glancing down at her phone. Both she and Henry were now down to just their hot chocolates (well, Henry was on his second cup).

"And that would be my cue to leave," Killian said, rising from the booth.

"You're going," Henry asked.

"They're friends of your mother's. I don't want to interfere in their catching up. Besides, I have some things to check up on concerning the case," Killian said with a bow. "It's been a pleasure, lad." He looked at Emma, his eyes softening as gazed at her. "Lass."

"Bye, Killian," Emma said, rolling her eyes and giving him a polite wave. Killian exited the diner and saw the Charmings coming down the street, giving them a polite salute with his hook before turning the opposite direction, almost bumping into the Queen.

"Distracted, Captain," Regina said annoyed as she recovered from the almost blow, but managed to catch the flash of panic in his eye.

"Regina," Hook said, giving her a slight head bow. "You might want to avoid this establishment for the time being."

"Why? Rodent outbreak?"

"No…"

"Well unless you have some good reason why I can't have my morning coffee, I suggest you stand aside. You do not want to get in my way before I've had my coffee," she said, holding up her hand as a slight flame bloomed around her fingers. She clenched her fist as she passed him to extinguish the flame before entering. He briefly considered re-entering the diner to assist with what would be an inevitable blow up between Emma and Regina, but his Swan was a tough lass. She could handle Regina and still keep up appearances for Henry. But, that didn't mean he wouldn't catch up with her later. Hook headed back around the building to head back up to his room, hoping that maybe Regina could add to his case that Emma and Henry should stay.

* * *

"We need to talk," David said with a sigh and he and Killian entered the loft later that day.

Emma looked quickly at Henry before saying "Outside," all of the adults quickly slipping into the hallway. Thankfully, Henry was playing video game, so he most likely wouldn't hear anything that filtered in from the hallway, or at least, she hoped.

"They're being turned into flying monkeys," Mary-Margaret gasped after David and Killian gave a full report of the events at the hospital.

"Yes," Killian confirmed. "He took on simian form with the added bonus of wings."

"Do you think that's what happened to the missing dwarves too," Mary-Margaret asked.

"It could be why we haven't heard from them," David said.

"Neal was supposed to patrol the town line today," Emma said. "Have we heard from him?"

"Actually, I don't think he's checked in yet," David said. "So, if no one warned him, it's possible."

"Well, it's not the first flying monkey I've dated," Emma quipped under her breath, earning a look of confusion from her mother. Killian seemed to note that she wasn't overly concerned, which was surprising given the possibility of her ex-boyfriend transforming into a monster, giving his heart a small flicker of hope. After further going over the facts, they at least had a suspect- the Wicked Witch of the West. A bit far fetched for Emma, but Regina seemed pretty confident, and that's all she could go on for now.

After forming a plan to regroup the next day to go over strategy, allowing Emma time to figure out what to do with Henry while they dove deeper into the case, they began to go their separate ways. "Do either of you want to stay for dinner," Mary-Margaret called to Killian and Regina.

"Thanks, but...no," Regina said hesitantly, still a bit heartbroken over the circumstances in which she could interact with Henry.

"Some other time, m'lady," Killian said after seeing Emma glare at him, giving him the vibe he was currently unwelcome. His quip at the town line had obviously rubbed her the wrong way, but he couldn't help it. When it came down to it, he was fiercely jealous. The woman he loved had been won over by someone else- someone that turned out to be a monster no less! He was angry that Emma got her heartbroken- again- but, what's worse, is the thought that if he had gone with her to New York, he would have been the one who would have loved her all that time. Some of those memories may have been false, but it would have been born out of something true. It drove him mad just thinking of that monstrosity touching his Emma. "I'll see the Queen out."

"So," Regina said once they were outside. "You and Emma seemed to have picked up where you left off. Always jumping at the chance to save the day with her."

"I did what I thought was right- for the town," Killian said simply.

"Oh, please," Regina said. "I know you, Hook. You would have taken any chance if it meant getting back to her. So don't give me any of that 'Hero' crap. You brought her back for yourself."

"We both tried the hero bit. Didn't take, remember? That's why I couldn't stay with the group in the first place," Hook said defensively. "Oh right, you don't remember our arrival back to the Enchanted Forest. We need Emma to help us do that once all this Witch business is out of the way. So instead of accusing me, you should be thanking me for bringing them back."

"Yet you clearly remember everything," Regina asked suspiciously. "Why exactly is that, Hook?"

"I was out of range of the curse," Hook said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"How far out of range? Where were you?"

"As far away as I could get," Hook said through his teeth. Regina knew that look in his eye, because she'd felt it the moment she decided to give Henry up. That thought of knowing you were destined to be cut off from your loved ones forever. In that, the two of them were alike. They could each count their number of loved ones on one hand, so the thought of losing them would drive them to extreme depths. "And what of you, your majesty? Not sticking around with your boy tonight? I would have thought your reunion would be longer lasting."

"Henry still doesn't know who I am," Regina said sadly. "I don't have the ingredients for the right kind of memory potion like you had, and I agree with how Emma feels about giving him a normal life."

"What?!" This was not what Hook was expecting. Regina was supposed to be an ally in trying to convince Emma to stay, not encourage it! Regina shook her head and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, as if she knew exactly what he had hoped she'd do.

"If you were a parent, you'd understand," Regina said simply. "Take it from me, Hook. Enjoy the time you have with Emma, then let her go. It's what Emma wants for Henry, and that's all that matters. It's what we always said in Neverland, right?" With that, Regina turned and walked towards her car, silently offering him a ride. He shook his head in refusal, turning the opposite way and stomping down the street.

* * *

Emma and Hook drove back to the bed & breakfast in silence after dropping Regina off. David didn't want any company going back to the loft in fear of worrying Mary-Margaret of what happened in the woods. Whatever losing his sword meant, they needed to get to the bottom of it fast. Thankfully, David left seeming to be as determined and courageous as ever, so at least his "courage" wasn't taken from him. It seemed like they were going to need it. Emma slowed down as they passed the docks.

"Do you want me to drop you off at the Jolly Roger for tonight? I could make an excuse to Henry," Emma offered, breaking the silence.

"Trying to get rid of me, Swan?"

"No," Emma said a bit too quickly. "No, I just...I don't think I've seen you go back there since we got back to Storybrooke."

"Well, we're not around each other all the time, lass. Perhaps I have been back," Hook said, not looking at her. "Just keep going."

"You're hiding something," Emma said as she shifted gears roughly. Even her yellow bug seemed to be disappointed in being in Storybrooke. The change from New York to Maine weather seemed like it was doing something to her car, or maybe it was just her annoyance with her passenger.

"Do you really want to go down that road again, Swan?" Emma shivered as she thought of their earlier conversation in the woods, how closed off he was, how there was fire in his eyes when she talked about Walsh, of how close he was to her at the end. Emma let out a sigh as she focused on the road, resuming their silence once again. As they drew closer to their destination, which wasn't far in the first place, she found herself driving at a slower speed. She couldn't decide whether she actually wanted to stay in the car and have it out with him or because she was anticipating the inevitable parting in the parking lot. Hook storming away from her, leaving her alone again. But that's what she wanted, right? To be left alone? Quickly deciding to just get it over with, like ripping off a bandaid, she sped up as she got close to the parking lot, pulling into a parking stall a bit too roughly. When she got out of the car, she was surprised that Killian actually stayed put, staring down like he was focused on his hands. Emma waited a beat before knocking on the window.

"Come on, Hook, I need you to get out so I can lock the car," Emma said, folding her arms tightly around her due to the cold. Hook got out slowly and stood still as she finished locking the car. "What," she asked as she turned to him.

"I just can't help to think what my last year would have been like if I had made better decisions," Killian said.

"What, like staying with my parents and being taken by the curse instead of going off on your own to pillage," Emma joked.

"If I would have stayed with you and Henry, because it took every fiber of my being to keep silent," Killian confessed. "Gone with you, to have a life of false memories, but capturing new ones. Because if that's all you want to get back to, it must have been a splendid life indeed. Much better than what I had to deal with."

"You mean the life you refuse to be honest with me about," Emma asked defensively. Killian shook his head and started to go back inside, only to be stopped by Emma's hand on his arm. He turned towards her, his body so close to hers it made him shiver, and he didn't care that he hadn't tried to hide it. Her nearness always overcame him. "Hey, what happened to winning my heart without any trickery? Because I'm sure omitting the truth through silence counts as some sort of trickery."

"Can your heart still be won," he asked hopefully.

"You know what I mean," Emma said. "I expect a lot of people to be dishonest with me, but not you."

"Expecting a pirate to be honest? I didn't think you were a fool, lass." Emma softened and gave his arm a small squeeze. And whether she meant to or not, he saw a flash of compassion in her eyes.

"I expect my friend, Killian Jones, to be the person he's always proven to be. The one who has my back," Emma said. Killian took a step in towards her, closing the gap slightly, and Emma didn't retreat.

"Always, Swan," Killian said softly. "But, like you, we all have something to hide." Emma nodded before stepping back to head towards the stairs of the bed and breakfast. Killian watched her go, giving a good amount of distance before he headed in as well.


End file.
